Can AFL make a footprint in NZ?

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Worthy of a mention.

The 2018 New Zealand U18 side have created history by winning their first ever game on Australian soil after a thrilling contest against a highly talented Mornington Peninsula Interleague side.


Link

New Zealand never gave up and withstood a heap of attacking pressure in the final minutes to clinch a five point victory.

Playing their second game of the tour, the group focused on improving on their performance from Wednesday night’s game and concentrating on the way they wanted to play.

After another spine-tingling Haka, New Zealand were first on the scoreboard after Quinn Pocock snapped a great goal and Devin Pullyblank quickly backed that up three minutes later to make two in a row.

With the momentum on our side, the U18’s capitalised as Dan Howie and Luke Williams kicked another two goals to go into the quarter time break leading by three goals.
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Does anyone know what’s happening with StKilda in Auckland? Last I heard they were planning on playing two games a season over there and were just waiting on the councils approvel but I haven’t heard anything since.
 
thegreig said:
Does anyone know what’s happening with StKilda in Auckland? Last I heard they were planning on playing two games a season over there and were just waiting on the councils approvel but I haven’t heard anything since.
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The western springs proposed stadium still hasn’t started being built
 
There was a long article on the AFLNZ website a while back that said in part the AFL St Kilda Club had been approached to set up offices at Mt Smart.
It appears the Saints are still interested in NZ, and their Logo still appears on the AFLNZ Website, which maybe another indicator.
 
Earlier this week an article appeared in the Oz which in part said that AFL St Kilda had got the gig for the next official AFL match in China next May against Port. It appears likely the Vic Govt is backing the Saints because they are keen to get a Melbourne Club in the fixture.
However in the same article NZ came up.
The St Kilda CEO Matt Finnis when asked about NZ said--The Saints still had a long term interest in playing Premiership games in Auckland.
So there you have it - But how long is a long term interest.

Off topic but related to International Footy.
Things are a changing at AFL House because a section to handle China and India development has been set up.
Dave Stevenson is focussing on India amongst his duties. It is likely he will handle the planned four AFL teams to tour and play matches up there on those great Cricket Stadiums.
China comes under Kylie Rogers which is amongst many portfolios Rogers now holds, and who made the following statement in a wide ranging interview ------
Longer-term, she has an eye on bigger expansion possibilities. The AFL has now played a game in China in the past two seasons, and Rogers is keen to grow. She'd like to see two games played either side of a Chinese version of G'Day USA and muses on setting up an AFL House in China, with commercial executives stationed permanently in this new frontier.
As an add on to the above the AFL has advertised for a person to report to Rogers and travel to China amongst their duties to explore opportunities with Port Adelaide, It also seems that AFLX will be played in Hong Kong next year.
Are we really entering a new era - Time will tell.
 
RedV3x said:
Actually it's Port Adelaide that gets the credit.
The AFL gave up on it's attempt in China.
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The AFL never really tried. The previous attempt was a Melbourne led thing bankrolled by its sponsor.

And while Port Adelaide have gone to great lengths to do many things in regard to this exercise, the match, opposition teams, match officials and government support doesnt happen without AFL support at the top.
 

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We had a look at Eden Park in Auckland which hosts Cricket and the two Rugby Codes.
This comment was on the bottom of one page found.
In May 2018, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said that the ground is no longer cost-effective or financially viable to host cricket matches, and that they were looking at hosting fixtures at the Western Springs Stadium instead

How much clout has NZ Cricket at the top Government Level to get the WS project brought forward.
Where would NZ Cricket play Tests in Auckland if they pull out of Eden Park now.
 
TWLS said:
We had a look at Eden Park in Auckland which hosts Cricket and the two Rugby Codes.
This comment was on the bottom of one page found.
In May 2018, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said that the ground is no longer cost-effective or financially viable to host cricket matches, and that they were looking at hosting fixtures at the Western Springs Stadium instead

How much clout has NZ Cricket at the top Government Level to get the WS project brought forward.
Where would NZ Cricket play Tests in Auckland if they pull out of Eden Park now.
Click to expand...
Sport has a lot less politically power in NZ than it does here.

Tests don't draw big crowds so it wouldn't surprise me if they were nomads for a few summers and took the tests around the country to places like Hagley Park in Christchurch and other boutique stadiums
 
jd2010 said:
Sport has a lot less politically power in NZ than it does here.

Tests don't draw big crowds so it wouldn't surprise me if they were nomads for a few summers and took the tests around the country to places like Hagley Park in Christchurch and other boutique stadiums
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At one stage Auckland went without hosting a Test match for about eight years from memory, and that was basically because the ground was just too big for the crowds it drew, sadly.
 
AFLNZ have released a full video -broken into 4 qtrs - of the match at the Marvel Stadium.

The NZ team are their current best players sourced from everywhere we think but they are still finding the Academy team a hard nut to crack.
However viewers can now see where they are standard wise relative to the best young Aussie talent.

http://aflnz.co.nz/blog/2019/04/29/video-new-zealand-falcons-vs-afl-academy-2019/

Their likely main opponents for IC2020 the PNG team are now affiliated with AFL Asia and compete in their Annual Asian Champs but not yet in the regular Asian Club premiership. This is a boost for the game up there in PNG.
 
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